Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

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The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

Sammy Davis took some ribbing in the Army because he shared a name with the famous entertainer. Much later, long after his military days were over, he would again gain some acclaim among his old comrades, this time as the "real" Forrest Gump.

Davis enlisted in the Army directly out of high school in 1965. Volunteering for the artillery because his father had been an artilleryman in World War II, he was assigned to the 4th Artillery. Soon after completing training, he asked to be sent to Vietnam.

Early on November 18, 1967, his unit of eleven guns and forty-two men was helicoptered into an area west of Cai Lay to set up a forward fire-support base-Firebase Cudgel-for American infantrymen operating in the area. Shortly after midnight the next morning, Private First Class Davis's Battery C came under heavy mortar attack. Almost simultaneously, an estimated fifteen hundred Vietcong soldiers launched an intense ground assault, failing to overrun the Americans only because a river separated the two forces.

Davis's squad was operating a 105 mm howitzer that fired eighteen thousand beehive darts in each shell. When he saw how close the enemy had come, Davis took over a machine gun and provided covering fire for his gun crew. But an enemy recoilless rifle round scored a direct hit on the howitzer, knocking the crew from the weapon and blowing Davis sideways into a foxhole. Convinced that the heavily outnumbered Americans couldn't survive the attack, he decided to fire off at least one round from the damaged artillery piece before being overrun.

He struggled to his feet, rammed a shell into the gun, and fired point-blank at the Vietcong who were advancing five deep directly in front of the weapon; the beehive round cut them down. An enemy mortar round exploded nearby, knocking Davis to the ground, but he got up and kept firing the howitzer. When there were no more rounds left, he fired a white phosphorus shell, and then the last round he had- a "propaganda shell" filled with leaflets.

At this point, he heard yelling from the other side of the river and realized that GIs had been cut off there. Despite the fact that he didn't know how to swim, he got in the water and paddled across on an air mattress from the American camp; other GIs followed him. Scrambling up the bank, he found three wounded soldiers, one of them suffering from a head wound that looked fatal.

He gave them all morphine and provided covering fire as another GI helped the most gravely wounded soldier across the river, then pulled the other two through the water on the air mattress to the fire base. He eventually made his way to an American howitzer crew and resumed the fight. Sometime before dawn, he was seriously wounded in the back and buttocks by friendly fire.

While he was in the hospital, Davis heard that he was to be sent home. He petitioned General William Westmoreland to be allowed to stay with his unit. Permission was granted, although Davis was still so hobbled by his wounds that he was taken off the line and made a cook.

On November 19, 1968, exactly one year and one day after the nightlong firefight at Cai Lay, Davis received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson. Years later, footage of LBJ putting the medal around Davis's neck appeared in the movie Forrest Gump (with Tom Hanks's head substituted for Davis's), and Gump's fictional Medal of Honor citation was loosely based on Davis's real one.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Davis (then Pfc.) distinguished himself during the early morning hours while serving as a cannoneer with Battery C, at a remote fire support base. At approximately 0200 hours, the fire support base was under heavy enemy mortar attack. Simultaneously, an estimated reinforced Viet Cong battalion launched a fierce ground assault upon the fire support base. The attacking enemy drove to within 25 meters of the friendly positions. Only a river separated the Viet Cong from the fire support base.

Detecting a nearby enemy position, Sgt. Davis seized a machinegun and provided covering fire for his guncrew, as they attempted to bring direct artillery fire on the enemy. Despite his efforts, an enemy recoilless rifle round scored a direct hit upon the artillery piece. The resultant blast hurled the guncrew from their weapon and blew Sgt. Davis into a foxhole. He struggled to his feet and returned to the howitzer, which was burning furiously. Ignoring repeated warnings to seek cover, Sgt. Davis rammed a shell into the gun. Disregarding a withering hail of enemy fire directed against his position, he aimed and fired the howitzer which rolled backward, knocking Sgt. Davis violently to the ground.

Undaunted, he returned to the weapon to fire again when an enemy mortar round exploded within 20 meters of his position, injuring him painfully. Nevertheless, Sgt. Davis loaded the artillery piece, aimed and fired. Again he was knocked down by the recoil. In complete disregard for his safety, Sgt. Davis loaded and fired 3 more shells into the enemy. Disregarding his extensive injuries and his inability to swim, Sgt. Davis picked up an air mattress and struck out across the deep river to rescue 3 wounded comrades on the far side.

Upon reaching the 3 wounded men, he stood upright and fired into the dense vegetation to prevent the Viet Cong from advancing. While the most seriously wounded soldier was helped across the river, Sgt. Davis protected the 2 remaining casualties until he could pull them across the river to the fire support base. Though suffering from painful wounds, he refused medical attention, joining another howitzer crew which fired at the large Viet Cong force until it broke contact and fled. Sgt. Davis' extraordinary heroism, at the risk of his life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.

Retired army Sergeant First Class Sammy L. Davis earned the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1967.

Generals, even Presidents, traditionally salute Medal of Honor recipients when they see them, as these men are so revered. Both of these very special men wanted to give me direct quotes specifically for this editorial concerning John F. Kerry.

Lee Mize said, What he (John Kerry) did to our Vietnam veterans, throwing his medals over the fence, his testifying before Congress (in 1971), and hanging around with Jane Fonda. Then, never regretting his made-up lies and his testimony, that is a real shame. It is equally disgusting the way he put down our National Guard and our Reserves. He certainly is a two-faced individual.

Sammy Davis, the second MOH recipient I spoke with, said of Kerry, He has done great disservice to every Vietnam veteran by his actions after he came home from Vietnam. He was in a position of power and could have implemented positive changes for veterans and active duty military personnel during the past 18 years, but he chose not to do so.

July 11, 2004

The Tree

The corkscrew willow tree stood vigil over our backyard for more than 20 years. It shaded all four of our children as they played in the yard, and it provided shelter for the neighborhood squirrels. But when springtime came and the tree didnt awaken from its winter slumber, it was time to bring it down.

Every day for a week I worked on that tree  first to fell it and then to chop two decades of growth into manageable pieces. It gave me a lot of time to think about trees.

I thought about the first tree  the one on which hung the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve just couldnt resist (Genesis 3:6). God used that tree to test their loyalty and trust. Then theres the tree in Psalm 1 that reminds us of the fruitfulness of godly living. And in Proverbs 3:18, wisdom is personified as a tree of life.

But it is a transplanted tree that is most important  the crude cross of Calvary that was hewn from a sturdy tree. There our Savior hung between heaven and earth to bear every sin of every generation on His shoulders. It stands above all trees as a symbol of love, sacrifice, and salvation.

At Calvary, Gods only Son suffered a horrible death on a cross. Thats the tree of life for us. Dave Branon

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. Bennard

The cross of Christ reveals mans sin at its worst and Gods love at its best.

13
posted on 07/11/2004 6:03:10 AM PDT
by The Mayor
(The true measure of our wealth is the treasure we have in heaven)

Appleton Cheshire, England : Bawming the Thorn Day Dahomey, Ivory Coast, Niger, Upper Volta : Independence Day (1960) Mongolia : National Day (1921) North Belgium : Flemish Day South Africa : Family Day (Monday) Swaziland : Reed Dance Day (Monday) US : National Ice Cream Day Vegetarian Food Day Captive Nations Week Begins National Eye Exam Month Religious Observances Orthodox : Feast of St Olga, 1st Russian saint the Orthodox Church RC : Commemoration of St Pius I, 10th pope (141-55), martyr Ang, Luth, RC : Mem of St Benedict of Nursia, abbot of Monte Cassino Religious History 1533 Clement VII excommunicated Henry VIII for divorcing Catherine of Aragon, andafterward marrying Anne Boleyn. Two years later, Henry broke with Rome and established theAnglican communion as the national religion of England. 1656 Ann Austin and Mary Fisher became the first Quakers to arrive in America Ä andwere promptly arrested. Five weeks later, they were deported back to England. 1952 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'Teach me, LordJesus,... not to be hungering for the "strange and peculiar" when the common, ordinary, andregular, rightly taken, will suffice to feed and satisfy the soul.' 1955 American Presbyterian missionary Francis Schaeffer observed in a letter: 'No priceis too high to have a free conscience before God.' 1967 The Vatican reported that Albania had closed its last Roman Catholic church.(Albania is a tiny Balkan country with an area only the size of Maryland.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987. Thought for the day : "He was a bold man that first ate an oyster." Things To Do If You Ever Became An Evil Overlord... The World's Shortest Books... The Amish Phone Book Dumb Laws... Hialeah Florida: Ambling and strolling is a misdemeanor. Top Ten Things That sound Dirty In Golf..But Aren't... 2. Nice stroke, but your follow through has a lot to be desired.

17
posted on 07/11/2004 7:37:17 AM PDT
by Valin
(Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's just that yours is stupid.)

A pic from our Support Our Troops rally yesterday. Rallies have been held ever Saturday since Mar 03 at one of the busiest intersections down here in Modesto. We had a veteran from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines present yesterday. Nice day in the sun.

Hi, I just got home from Church and am running out the door again. The Vietnam rolling wall is in Kenmore ant the closing ceremony is at 2PM. I want to take some pics and post them for Military Monday..

42
posted on 07/11/2004 9:39:43 AM PDT
by The Mayor
( The cross of Christ reveals manís sin at its worst and Godís love at its best.)

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